On August 10, World Lion Day, South African NGOs will launch the "You’re Killing Them Softly" campaign, highlighting the need to end the commercial captive lion industry.
This initiative follows the South African government’s 2021 pledge to shut down the industry, which continues to fuel unethical practices involving captive-bred lions and other predators.
The campaign, led by organisations Blood Lions, FOUR PAWS South Africa, Humane Society International/Africa, and Voice4Lions, seeks to educate the public about the consequences of engaging in activities like cub petting, hand-raising, and using predator parks.
These actions, although often well-intentioned, support an industry that commodifies these predators, breeding them for profit rather than conservation.
Dr. Louise de Waal from Blood Lions stated, “These cubs are not orphans; they have no conservation value. They are bred solely to feed an unethical and insidious industry.”
Currently, approximately 8,000 lions and thousands of other big cats are bred and kept on around 350 lion farms in South Africa. These animals are exploited for cub petting, voluntourism, captive trophy hunting, and trade in their parts, including bones for traditional medicine.
The coalition of NGOs acknowledges the progress marked by the Ministerial Task Team's recent report on voluntary exit options and the policy position on the conservation of key species.
However, they urge the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) to publish a detailed implementation plan with time-bound goals. “We commend the Cabinet for their commitment to end this cruel industry. This move will ensure that these majestic animals are no longer bred to suffer for profit,” the coalition stated.
They also call for extending the ban to all captive big cats and prohibiting their ownership as pets and for entertainment purposes.
The NGOs are encouraging the public to support the Big Cats SA petition, which aims to introduce legislation banning the keeping of big cats as pets and prohibiting public contact with these species.
The commercial captive lion industry in South Africa, which began in the 1990s, has expanded without significant regulation.
Key developments include:
2015 - The Blood Lions Documentary premiered, exposing misleading claims by the predator breeding and canned hunting industries.
2018 - The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Environmental Affairs held a colloquium on captive lion breeding, leading to a national assembly recommendation for an urgent policy and legislative review to end the practice.
2019 - A High Court ruled the bone quotas set in 2017 and 2018 were unlawful and required consideration of lion welfare. Consequently, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) deferred setting a CITES lion bone export quota. A High-Level Panel (HLP) was appointed to review policies, recommending against breeding, keeping, or using captive lions commercially. These recommendations were adopted by Cabinet.
2021 - The documentary Lions, Bones & Bullets was released. Minister Creecy announced the adoption of the HLP's recommendations.
2023 - A Ministerial Task Team (MTT) was formed to suggest voluntary exit strategies for the industry. Their recommendations, approved by Cabinet in March 2024, included making voluntary exit the first step towards closing the commercial captive lion industry in South Africa.
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